All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter
by DonLambert
Summary: "We could have been great, Albus." "You always say that." "It's true." "It was true. Not anymore." Select scenes from that wild, brilliant summer and what brought it all to an end. Slash!


Title: All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter

Author: Don Lambert

Rating: M

Description: "We could have been great, Albus." "You always say that." "It's true." "It was true. Not anymore." My take on select scenes from that wild, brilliant summer, and what brought it all to an end. Slash!

Basically, my takes on little parts of the Dumbledore/Grindelwald relationship, all strung together into a 10000+ word one-shot. Yes, this is a one-shot.

Genre: Romance/Tragedy

Disclaimer: I own nothing! Nothing. At. All. Not even the title, that's Tolkien's, damn it! In fact, I want to say that I took many ideas for images/scenes/whole chunks of dialogue from other pieces of grindeldore art/fics, and by took I mean blatantly stole. If you happen to be the creator of such 'inspiration' and would like credit, please, please tell me and I will gladly put it on my profile. I will also post links to some things nonetheless.

Other than that, enjoy.

xxxxxx

All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter

xxxxxx

Why do certain memories stand out clearly in our minds, years after they have passed? Why are some things forgotten and some kept forever, to be pulled out and smiled upon or wept over as we sit and think to ourselves? Is it because some circumstances make us feel so strongly, brand such a sense of clear emotion into our very selves, that we will remember that moment, the cause of that feeling, for perhaps the rest of our lives?

It should be a testament to Gellert Grindelwald, to the love that overtook Albus' world for that one single summer, that even now, as he sits behind his desk, stroking the feathers of his majestic phoenix, that he can still remember every second of those two insane months. Every single time the sun would reflect off of Gellert's golden hair. He does not need a pensive, it is all here, playing back before his eyes as if he were sitting on that hill with his back against the oak tree once more. It was beautiful, that summer. Painful, but beautiful.

Yes, he remembered all of it…some moments more strongly than others, of course…

xxxxxx

A young Albus Dumbledore stood on a hill top one breezy summer day, turning the sky purple.

He looked about seventeen, tall, thin, spectacles covering fresh and curious blue eyes, his long copper hair pulled back in a pony tail and secured with an indigo ribbon.

Wand pointed upward, muttering a complicated incantation under his breath, the sky churned a deep violet above him, filling the valley with rumbling thunder. This was his favorite place for experimenting, a small hill, only about a mile's walk from his home in Godric's hollow, overlooking a beautiful, rolling valley. The little hill was graced with a single large oak tree, making it the perfect place to sit back and read a history book on a sunny day, and the muggle village was in the other direction out of town, so it was highly unlikely that he would be stumbled upon by non-magical eyes.

"You're brilliant."

Albus spun around in surprise to see a young man walking towards him, up his hill.

He lowered his wand to his side, letting the sky calm and return to a still, powder blue as the sun reappeared through his thunder clouds.

"Thank you."

The first thing he noticed about the man—boy? He didn't look any older then sixteen—was his marvelous golden hair, shimmering, curled and unruly, falling around his face like a waterfall of wild sunlight. He had gold eyes, equally luminous, that caught the light in a thousand enchanting ways. His strong jaw line and toned, muscular stature made Albus wonder where exactly he hailed from. He was tall, not nearly as tall as Albus, of course, but never the less he cut an imposing, impressive image in black trousers, a buttoned white shirt, and an elegant, embroidered green velvet waist coat. He looked rather more serious then Albus, who was in one of his typical purple ensembles with a sweeping blue coat and silver tie.

The strange man gave Dumbledore a smile, drawing his wand from a pocket, looking at the now quiet sky. "Mind if I show you a bit of mine?" His accent…German? Intriguing.

Dumbledore shook his head, and the other wizard raised his wand high above his head, a glint in his eye.

"_Totalus Incendicaelum_!" He thundered with surprising gusto, and immediately the sky erupted in flames, columns of great orange fire bursting from rolling black clouds of smoke, meteors falling to the earth but having no effect on the ground, and Albus felt no heat radiating from the inferno exploding just above their heads. Albus stood, staring slack-jawed up at the enchanted sky until the man uttered the counter curse and lowered his wand, turning back to Albus, eyebrows raised in desire for feedback.

"Amazing. Truly amazing."

This seemed to please the blonde a great deal, and he grinned, showing large white teeth. "Right? Terrifies most people, but I see you appreciate it. I just love messing with the weather. The sky."

"I do too."

"Yeah? It's just…It's something so big, that affects everyone alike, and to be able to control it…at least a part of it…"

Suddenly, the latent desire not to be outshone flaring up violently inside him, Albus raised his wand to the sky once more. "Watch this one," he ordered, and promptly turned the sky into a dark, roaring maelstrom, savage winds tearing at the coats of both of the wizards, whipping their hair around their faces.

The hurricane soon died down, and the blonde let out a bark of joyous laughter, looking at Albus with undisguised wonder.

"Gellert Grindelwald," he said, extending a hand, and Albus gripped it enthusiastically.

"Albus Dumbledore."

"You are Albus! Thank goodness. My great aunt told me I needed to talk to you."

"Your great aunt?"

"I'm staying with her for a while now," Grindelwald said, nodding.

"In…Godric's Hollow?"

"Yeah, Bathilda Bagshot. Said that you and I might get along, that I should find you and introduce myself, and personally, I believe she might be very right."

Dumbledore let himself smile, "I do too. Not to be vain, but I've never met someone as talented as myself."

"Me neither! Do you know what I think? I think we're going to be great together."

This struck Albus as oddly presumptuous, but something about it sounded so appealing that he had to nod in agreement. "Perhaps so."

"Look," Grindelwald said regretfully, pocketing his wand. "I've got to go, there's something I've been burning to do for the longest time, and I just can't put it off any longer. Whole reason I came here. Hope you understand. I'll see you later, though."

"Of course," Dumbledore replied obligingly, and Grindelwald shook his hand one last time before darting off down the hill, leaving Albus standing there with the overwhelming suspicion that his world was about to change forever.

xxxxxx

A few hours later found Albus walking back to his house, taking his normal path, which happened to lead him by the graveyard of little Godric's Hollow. Strangely enough, when he looked over at the gravestone that he so often observed, just to give it a passing glance, he saw the boy from earlier. Grindelwald was kneeling before the same headstone, brushing off some dust to get a better look at what was carved there, a notebook poised in his other hand.

He found himself trotting over to the grave, coming to stand by Grindelwald.

The blonde looked at up at him with a small smile. "Ah, hello."

Dumbledore returned the smile. "Interested in the Peverells, are you?"

Gellert gave a little inward smirk, as if he was in on a joke that Albus hadn't heard. "…You could say that."

He looked down at Grindelwald's notebook and saw, to his great surprise, that the other wizard had been tracing the triangular symbol on the top of the headstone. In fact, when he looked closer, it looked like Grindelwald had doodled the triangle encasing a circle and vertical line all over his paper. For a moment Albus stood there, breathless, staring over the blonde's shoulder, not sure if what he was imagining could be true.

"The Hallows," he finally whispered, and his suspicion was confirmed when the simple phrase sent Gellert jumping to his feet. He put his hands on Albus' shoulders, eyes alight.

"You know about the Deathly Hallows? _Do you?_"

Still shocked, Albus managed to nod, and Gellert broke out into a wide, devilish grin.

"You _know_! Of course you know! _Brilliant_! You and I are going to take over the world together. I can taste it."

That was it, the beginning of it all. From then on, it was always _you and I_.

xxxxxx

Gellert practically dragged Albus back to his house, the two of them tripping through the door way and into the living room where Bathilda sat, working on a needlepoint. The old witch looked up and, seeing Gellert with an arm around Dumbledore's shoulder, broke into a smile. "Well now, I see you've met!"

"We certainly have," replied Grindelwald with a grin.

"I just knew you two would take to each other. Two young geniuses." She set down the needlepoint, gesturing the taller wizard over to her. "Albus! Come here now, ah, so good to see you. I'm glad Gellert's found you. I'm not sure what he's told you, but he'll be staying here for a while. I'm his great aunt. Did you know? Didn't myself until he showed up on my doorstep." Albus raised an eyebrow, but Gellert offered only a charming smile. "But he's such a nice boy. Home from Durmstrang, rather unfortunate circumstances. No matter, though."

"Durmstrang? He didn't say."

"Well I'm sure he'll tell you all about it, eh? I know you two will have lots to talk about."

Dumbledore glanced over at Gellert, who still had on his smile, but he could see him fidgeting too, dancing in place with excitement about the Hallows.

"Yes, yes, of course, look, aunt Bathilda, do you mind if we go up to my room to talk about school and all that?"

"Of course, dear, if it's so important to you. You two have fun."

Grindelwald shook his head as they raced up the stairs, "Senile old thing."

"You didn't tell me you went to Durmstrang!" They walked into Gellert's room and Albus sat neatly on his bed, looking around the sparse space as Grindelwald rifled through a leather backpack. It didn't look as though he had unpacked yet; a trunk in the corner seemed to be his only possession in what had previously been Bathilda's guest bedroom.

"I didn't tell you much of anything, did I?"

"Is it true, what they say?"

"About the Dark Arts?" Gellert sat down next to him, a small, leather bound book in his hands. "I know about the Hallows, don't I?"

_Does that entail being a dark wizard? I'm no dark wizard, am I? _Albus thought to himself as he looked at the book. A copy of the Tales of Beadle the Bard, much like the worn copy he had sitting on his desk back in his own room. "_No one_ knows about the Deathly Hallows."

"No one but you, you and me" Gellert grabbed his notebook and a quill, opening to a new page. A horizontal line. "The wand." A circle. "The stone." And a triangle enclosing them both. "The cloak. The Deathly Hallows. I'm going to find them, unite them. I've been planning for years, and when I got…well, I'll be honest, I got expelled for some unwanted experimenting…and naturally, I came here."

"Naturally," Dumbledore said, eyes sparkling, drinking in everything about the man sitting next to him, intelligent and gorgeous. "Can you imagine the power? Master of Death?"

"Master of Death."

xxxxxx

"The wand would be the best," Dumbledore said as the traipsed through the grass to the place that they had first met each other just yesterday.

"Oh, Merlin, absolutely. Think of what an unbeatable wand entails! You'd be unstoppable. It's left a good trail behind it, too, which means I think we'll be able to find it without too much trouble. The cloak will be a piece of cake if it's stayed in the family, but if it hasn't, it could be even more difficult than the stone wi—hold on. Are you wearing _paisley_ socks?"

"Indeed I am."

"You're unbelievable."

Dumbledore gave Grindelwald a grin, "Thank you."

xxxxxx

"Have you thought any on your positions on muggles?" Grindelwald asked right away when he met Dumbledore early in the morning on what was now their hill, eager to see where conversation would take them today.

"I have, I certainly have." They settled down on the grass below the single oak tree, both sitting cross legged, facing each other.

"And?"

"Your views on the new society we can make are intoxicating, in fact, it's something that I've thought about many times on my own. As for your views on muggle rights…I agree with many aspects, but there are a few of which I'm just not sure of…"

"Albus. I know what you're protesting. But look, the silly creatures need our guidance. It's for their own good."

"Of course, but…killing them?"

"Now, only if we really need to. You make it sound like we're just going to march into their towns and exterminate them in bunches. Come on, Al. Look at it my way."

But Albus swallowed, unsure for a moment if he wanted to see things the way that the boy sitting cross legged in front of him saw them. "Surely— I mean, perhaps…is it really necessary? I mean, Gellert, murder is nothing to sneeze at."

"Think of all the good we'll be doing! Surely that's worth the lives of a few silly muggles."

"Of course it is, of course it is…" Dumbledore said after a moment's hesitation. "It's unfortunate, is all. But soon everything will pay off."

"Exactly. It's just a matter of time. Don't you see? We're better than them; talented, special. Why is it, then, that we are the ones that must hide? We're forced to suppress who we really are because of muggle ignorance. They laugh at us, torture us, when in all reality they should be worshiping us…begging for mercy and acceptance! Wizards are unique, Albus, brilliant! You and I especially, more than anyone else in the world."

"True…true…"

"Masters of death. Reformers of the wizarding world. We can do this, Albus. We can rule. Think of it."

"And if a few people must be put in their place, so be it. It's for the greater good."

"_Exactly!_"

"'The end justifies the means,' as some muggle politician once said. Machiavelli?"

Grindelwald nodded in satisfaction, "That's what I've been trying to tell you, Albus, this whole time. We would be looking out for the good of wizardkind."

"And what rulers we would make…I have such ideas, Gellert, you have no clue. You're completely right, we shouldn't have to hide anymore. We take down the Statue of Secrecy, and instate all new muggle relations policies. And then, of course, there's the government."

"The two of us as joint dictators, even?"

"Why not! We'll completely reform the Ministry. The changes we can make! I've been thinking about it for such a long time, we restructure the entire hierarchy of…"

They stayed out on the hilltop until dinner time, the first of their near endless conversations. The retort itself became nearly as intoxicating as the ideas, crackling with intelligence and passion, truly their first shared intimacy.

xxxxxx

"You got my letter, then?"

"Yes," Grindelwald said as he stepped through the doorway into Dumbledore's living room, "You said you had a book on the Peverells. That's excellent."

"I thought that it would be a good place for us to start our search for the Hallows with."

Albus offered to take Gellert's jacket, but Gellert held on to it. "I thought we might go read outside, actually. It's beautiful out, not too warm," He suggested cheerfully.

Albus glanced over his shoulder into the living room, where Aberforth and Ariana were sitting on the floor, playing gobstones. He'd introduced them to Grindelwald before, and Ariana had glanced up now as he walked in the door, and was still gazing at the pair of them. She clearly thought Gellert was cute with his golden curls, and really, who wouldn't?

"You're alright here if I go out for a bit, Abe?" Albus asked his brother, who didn't look up from his gobstones.

"Sure, sure."

Dumbledore smiled, "Goodbye then."

He waved to Ariana, who waved back as the pair hurried out the door.

They laughed and talked as they headed down the road out of Godric's Hollow, bursting out into a race that Albus won by a hair, only because his legs were longer, as Gellert insisted.

Finally they sat down on the hilltop, and Albus set the book he had been carrying between them.

"It's part of a set I have about famous wizarding families, and there are three families in each volume, so the whole thing isn't about the Peverells, unfortunately. I think that their section is at the end…" He said, but Grindelwald wasn't paying attention, looking instead at Albus, sitting there on the grass in his fastidious blue and silver coat, copper hair down instead of tied in a pony tail like normal.

Albus pried the old leather book open, flipping some pages until he found the section he wanted.

"I haven't examined it in quite a long time, but now that you're here, I thought we might have a read through it and see if there's anything of merit in here. If I can recall, there were quite a few interesting passages—"

Suddenly Grindelwald leaned forward and pressed his lips against Dumbledore's, cutting the wizard off in the middle of his sentence.

For a moment Albus was shocked, but then he gave in, letting his book fall closed as Gellert shifted closer to him, putting a hand on either side of Albus' face as the taller wizard buried his fingers in Gellert's golden curls, letting out a small sigh.

Only when Gellert finally released him, sitting back on the grass, did Albus open his eyes again.

It was as if he was seeing everything for the first time, magnified ten times, overpowering his senses. The grass was greener; the sky, bluer then the eyes he saw looking back at him in the mirror each morning; the birds were louder; Gellert's hair…indescribable. Why did it captivate him so? Gold as galleons, falling to his shoulders in thick waves, sparkling like sunshine on the ocean, framing his expectant face. He was looking at Albus in a way…no one had ever looked at him before; eyebrows raised, eyes wide, a pretty smile on his lips.

"Yes?" he asked, as if for permission, sounding slightly hesitant.

Albus didn't answer, instead pressing his lips forcefully against Gellert's in reply. Grindelwald sighed in elation, tongue coaxing its way between the other wizard's lips, gently exploring. A hand pressed against Albus' chest, pushing him back until they were lying in the tall grass together, Gellert on top, Albus' hands entwined in his hair as they embraced.

Taking over the world would be put on hold the rest of the day.

xxxxxx

"Are you _knitting?_"

Albus looked up from the wool scarf he had been slowly chipping away at for the past few weeks, something he would pull out when he got bored with his books or wandwork. He would probably end up giving it to Ariana when it was done; it was green, which he had never thought was the color for him. Gellert, however looked stunning in green, although he knew Grindelwald would never think of wearing such a scarf.

He found himself gazing now at the other wizard, who was hovering outside Dumbledore's open window on his Kensington Flyer (which, at the time, was a very good broom), chuckling at the heap of lime green wool in his friend's lap.

"Yes, I am knitting. What of it?"

Gellert just shook his head. "Strange."

"It's relaxing after a long night of scheming with you. Besides, I'm getting rather good."

"Just get on the broom, Albus, I've got an old book of the weirdest potions to show you."

Dumbledore grinned, setting down his knitting needles and climbing nimbly out of his window, onto Gellert's broomstick.

"My old aunt has such a glorious collection of books, I never even imagined…Lucky she's a historian and all that. Anyway, she said you can stay for dinner, too, if you want."

xxxxxx

A couple of days later they sat in an old abandoned barn, plotting maps of this relocation route or that campaign trail, when Gellert looked up at Albus, eyebrows raised an a question. "That scarf you were knitting earlier…awfully nice shade of green. When do you reckon you'll finish it?"

"Oh, in a week or so I'd expect."

"Well, you're not planning on wearing it, are you?"

Albus laughed, "Of course not, Gell, you know green isn't my color. Why ever do you ask?"

"Mind if I have it? It might be pretty cold in some of the places we're going to have to go."

Dumbledore didn't even try to hide the glorious smile that alighted on his face as Gellert Grindelwald said this to him. "I think…that I would absolutely love that."

xxxxxx

Dumbledore sat in his room one cloudy day, a single candle, magically enhanced to burn gloriously bright and release different floral aromas, illuminating his book, a hand dipping occasionally into the box of coconut ice that Bathilda had presented him with the last time he was over.

Suddenly, just as he flipped a page, there was a rapping on the window, and he looked up to see Gellert's tawny barn owl perched on the open window sill before him. He beckoned it in excitedly, and it deposited a small slip of paper on top of his book before flying away.

Albus untied the ribbon that bound the unusually short note, reading with greedy eyes.

"_Albus-_

_I just had the biggest breakthrough, and I think that I may have figured out a counter curse for the spell we have been working on! You must come over as soon as possible so that I may show you. That's all. I'll see you soon._

_-Gellert"_

Albus jumped up from his chair with a grin, throwing down his book and flying out of his room. He ran down stairs, meaning to grab a light jacket, when he was accosted by Aberforth, who was standing in front of the closet.

"Albus, there you are. Look, I've got to go to the store," he pleaded, looking desperate, "we're out of milk and Ariana wants some sweets, but –listen, won't you- she's been moody today, will you please watch her? Please, Al?"

But Dumbledore didn't even seem to hear him, scooting around his brother to grab the purple jacket from its hook. "Sorry Abe, Grindelwald needs me right away."

"What? No! Look, it'll only be a minute—"

"Tomorrow, yes? I'll do it tomorrow, I promise."

"No! Not tomorrow! Albus! _Albus_!" But the older wizard had already left. "This can't go on like this!" Aberforth shouted out the doorway, watching his brother run down the street.

xxxxxx

"Albus," Grindelwald said fondly one day as he sat beside Dumbledore and gazed fondly at the glasses that were sliding down his long nose.

Albus looked up from his book, raising an eyebrow. "Gellert."

"Al."

Albus allowed himself a small smile. "Gell."

"Alby."

He rolled his eyes, closing his book in a gesture of defeat. "Gelly."

They burst out laughing, and Gellert put a warm arm around Dumbledore's shoulders. "Man. We're perfect together," he said fondly, pushing a compliant Albus down in the long grass and thoroughly ravishing him.

xxxxxx

Albus was sitting on his bed, face buried in a leather-bound book about historical wands. The scratching of Gellert's quill on parchment had long ago ceased, and Albus could feel his eyes burning into the back of his head. Dumbledore paid him no notice, flipping a page, not even looking up when Gellert cleared his throat pointedly. "I'm bored."

"Mmm…"

"We should fuck."

_That_ caught his Albus' attention.

Suddenly and without warning Gellert was on top of him, clambering onto his lap, pressing him lips against Albus' neck and kissing him as he had never kissed him before; hungrily and without reserve.

"Gell—?" Albus gasped, and Grindelwald grinned.

"I think that it's only time that we take things to the next level," He said huskily, hands moving to Albus' collar, slowly slipping the first button from its hole and running his tongue over the exposed skin. "Don't you?"

"I…" Albus looked at Gellert, his golden eyes, his golden hair, breath hot on his neck, and even though he would never have admitted it…he was rather nervous. Nervous and…excited. Excited, because if anyone was worthy of giving himself up for, of having this experience with, it was Gellert, his perfect equal in every way. Because he'd been imagining it for countless nights, alone in his room, the scent of Gellert still lingering around him. "…Yes. I do."

"Good," He murmured, pushing Albus suddenly down on his back and straddling his hips. "And don't worry, you'll like it. I went to an all boy's school, you know."

"Gellert, wait, Aberforth—"

"Won't notice a thing. You can't stop me, Albus, I'll put a silencing charm on you if I have to," Grindelwald insisted, eyes sparkling with laughter while at the same time failing to mask a burning desire as he continued to unbutton Albus' shirt.

For a moment Dumbledore took a deep breath, swallowing hard before opening his eyes and giving the other wizard a grin. "Alright then," He said, burying his long hands in Grindelwald's golden hair. "Do your worst."

He should have known that Gellert would take that as nothing but the most serious challenge.

For a moment Gellert kissed him, teasingly sweet, before sitting up, straddling Albus' hips as he pulled off his own shirt and then frantically ripped open what he hadn't unbuttoned of Albus'. Their skin seemed to spark and hiss as it collided, and Albus moaned as Gellert's lips made their way back to his neck, biting in earnest, marking him as his own.

Albus found his hands wrapping around Gellert's back, devouring the smooth, perfect skin, kneading, clawing, moving downwards until Grindelwald let out a gasp of his own. The blonde wizard grinned, chuckling softly as he brought their hips together, grinding deeply against Albus' growing erection. Albus nearly screamed out with longing, and Gellert took that as his opportunity to reach for his wand, murmuring "silencio," the devious glint in his gold eyes bordering on sadistic.

He made a slow, tortuously sensual trail with his tongue down Albus' chest while his hands found their way to the waistband of his pants. Gellert's lips met up with his fingers just as they finished undoing Albus' last button, and the blonde wizard looked up at him with a blazing grin for a fleeting second before pulling down Albus' pants and boxers all at once, leaving him exposed to Gellert's eager tongue. Albus moaned against the charm, mind churning like a maelstrom at the new, _incredible_ sensations. Why had this not happened sooner? Why had this not been happening twice a day for the past two weeks? He briefly wondered about Durmstrang, because Gellert was at least a year and a half younger than him, and damn, he was _good_.

He was in complete control, the way Albus knew he wanted it, bringing him up, so close that he could taste the heat of his climax, almost there, come on—just—just there—oh Merlin oh _God—_and then letting him down, slowly, tortuously, until he moaned so desperately the silencing charm threatened to break. Albus' breath came in sharp, ragged gasps, hands twisting the sheets under him, but Gellert didn't seem to notice a thing, he just kept working Albus with his tongue, his teeth, those dexterous fingers…why had Albus never fully appreciated those small, simple little parts of Grindelwald that he kissed and touched every day…he knew how to use them so _damn _well, fucking wizard _God—_

Gellert made a delicious motion with his tongue and—oh my god fuck this stupid silencing charm—Albus slammed his fist on the night stand—he couldn't take it, he had to show Gellert what he was feeling, had to make him, somehow, see—when suddenly, one of his fingers touched his wand. Without a thought he grabbed it, and immediately showers of golden sparks began to pour from the tip, and he hoped that Gellert would be able to tell—oh god, _yes_, _that. _There was nothing else in the world but the overwhelming sensation, fire erupting white hot from his wand now, bathing them in heat.

It was unbearable pleasure, consuming him whole, he'd never known such a thing existed, so close—he wanted—needed—_Now, please, _he wanted to scream out, hips bucking into Gellert's mouth, and something must have let Gellert know, because he took him in his mouth whole, and suddenly Albus felt his climax crash over him, erupting, and the lights and sparks and swirls of gold that burst from his wand illuminated the entire room, brighter than a half time show at the Quidditch World Cup, the indescribable surge of emotion represented in the glorious light show, bathing them both in gold and red, making Grindelwald's hair glitter brilliantly. Brilliant. Everything was brilliant.

Gradually the glow faded, leaving Albus lying on his back, panting desperately.

Grindelwald reached for his wand, lifting the silencing charm.

"_Gellert._ …Gellert. Oh, God, Gell."

"That was quite the firework show, and all for me?" Gellert said with a grin as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, wrapping himself around Albus' side.

Albus nodded weakly, eyes closed, a blissful smile on his lips. "I love you."

"_Keep it down with the explosions up there, damn it! Ariana's sleeping!"_ Aberforth shouted vehemently from downstairs, and the two boys erupted in laughter, holding each other closer as Albus pulled the covers over their heads. Gellert nuzzled Albus' neck, burying his face in his auburn hair. For a long moment Gell traced his jaw line with that clever tongue of his before giving a conniving grin and whispering in the other wizard's ear, "Now it's my turn…let's see what kind of sparks you can make come out of _my _wand, hmm?"

xxxxxx

That night, as Albus lay awake thinking about what he and Gellert had done, there was a blazing bright shower of green sparks and, out of nowhere, the wizard in question appeared at the foot of his bed, grinning in nothing but a pair of black boxers.

Dumbledore looked up at Grindelwald in shock, propping himself on his shoulder, and all he could manage to say was, "You're not old enough to apparate!"

"Did that look like apparating to you? Come on, Albus, I shot sparks. That was a hard bit of magic. Anyway, that's not the point."

And as Gellert tore away his covers, climbing on top of him and straddling his hips, Albus could clearly see that it wasn't.

"It's time for round two."

Albus raised an elegant eyebrow, "Round two?"

"You know what I'm talking about," he said, running his hand down Albus' chest. "I went easy on you last time. No school boy blow jobs now, no, I fully intend on bending you over and making you _mine_."

The way he said that last word, licking his perfect, flushed lips, there was nothing in the world that Albus wanted more then to be owned by the man above him. Taken. For once in his life, _dominated_.

"Please."

The blonde wizard bent down, kissing and biting Albus' neck as his fingers undid, one by one, the buttons on his purple silk pajamas, leaving the pale skin bared for his hands to explore. Their lips clashed together again, tongues dueling passionately as shirts were flung without thought into corners of the room.

"I've wanted this for so long," Gellert murmured, slipping his hand under the waistband of Albus' pants. "To make you lose control."

"You don't—call earlier—losing control?" Albus said through a groan as Gellert gave a teasing squeeze.

"Not by a long shot. Not compared to what I'm going to make you do now…and no sissy silencing charms this time. I want you to beg." He ground his hips against Albus' and the older wizard nearly did beg, trying desperately to contain the needy moans that were escaping his lips. "You are going to _scream_ _my_ _name_."

Bloody lucky Aberforth was such a heavy sleeper, really.

xxxxxx

And so the summer progressed, beginning to blur together no matter how Albus tried to capture each individual moment. By morning they would plan, read, talk, dream, drive Aberforth out of his mind. Take stolen moments pressed against the oak tree on the hill as wind tussled Gellert's golden hair. By night Albus would sneak into Gellert's room, or Gel into his, or the two of them would sneak out to somewhere more secretive, whispering furtively, hearts pounding. They would tear off each other's clothes, devouring each other with their eyes, mouths, always pushing each other farther, two balls of fire, pent up during the day, for their whole lives, exploding as they collided now in hidden passion.

It was different every time, and to Albus, every night was just as delicious as the last. Sex was just one more thing to be explored; one more thing, admittedly more pleasurable then any of his previous studies, that he wanted to learn every secret of. He was a prodigy in everything else, and this, he decided, was to be no exception. He wanted to know Gellert inside out, every inch of him, how he moved, how he thought, because in the dead of night, their minds and bodies working as one, there was no doubt it was the most beautiful thing he had ever witnessed, the two of them together.

You and I.

xxxxxx

"Don't you wish we could see the sky?" Grindelwald asked one night as they lay sprawled on his bed, windows open against a particularly hot summer night, running a hand through Albus' long auburn hair.

"Oh yes," Albus replied, "quite often. And luckily, we can."

Seeing the eager look on Gellert's face, Albus charmed the ceiling as he would do much later to the great hall at Hogwarts, the bright expanse of stars unfurling above them.

"Wow."

They stared for a long moment together, lost in wonder. Gellert raised his wand, connecting a group of stars in the symbol of the Hallows, and Albus laid his head on his chest.

"Look at the moon." Gellert finally said in a whisper. "So beautiful. Don't you wish you owned it?"

"And what would you do with the moon, Gell?"

"I'd write my name on it in huge golden letters, so that everyone would know that it was mine."

Albus laughed, "I have no doubt that you would. I suppose I'll just have to bring it down for you, then."

"I know you could."

xxxxxx

"Do you know what I think?"

Albus opened his eyes, looking up at Grindelwald from where his head was resting in Gellert's lap. "I would never attempt to guess what's going on in your head, Gellert."

It was a cloudy, rather dull day, but the blonde wizard took a long moment to look around the valley before he spoke again. "I think that we haven't even begun to access the full potential of our abilities. I mean, you're bloody brilliant, and I've seen you do some breathtaking magic, but Albus, don't you think that there's so much we haven't figured out yet? So much we don't know? We're the two most powerful wizards on earth. You and I, sitting right here together. I think that we can do anything."

"Alright then," Albus said, straightening up and turning to face Gellert. "Say that I agree. Let's see some of this anything, sir second most powerful wizard on earth."

"Second most?"

Albus chuckled to himself, "Well, sure."

"Sure? Surely not," Grindelwald said indignantly. "You're going to be eating those words. Have a look at this."

Gellert pointed his wand at the tree, which promptly burst into flame, then proceeded to turn all colors of the rainbow before dying out all at once with a startling bang.

Albus scoffed, "Child's play."

He flicked his wand, and from the tree came a series of clicking noises, like locks being undone, and then, one by one in a ripple effect, the leaves of the tree turned a dazzling silver, and apples that appeared to be made out of diamonds dropped from the branches.

"Not bad, then…" Gellert swished his wand grandly, and this time the tree actually rose up, roots tearing out of the ground. As it floated there in the air, sparks began to gather at the base, making their way up the smallest roots, growing in number and brightness as they traveled up the trunk and eventually down the branches, covering the entire tree. Then, suddenly they vanished, leaving the trunk of the tree a vivid purple and the branches turned into a thousand writhing black snakes.

"Very nice indeed," Albus said with an approving nod as the tree was set down and returned to its original state, unharmed. "Here, now this one is for you."

He set down his wand in the grass, earning a raised eyebrow from Gellert, and held out a palm. A small speck of light appeared floating just above his hand, and gradually it expanded until, rotating above Dumbledore's extended palm, was a bright, basketball sized model of the moon, identical to its planetary counterpart in every way.

For a long moment Gellert stared at the little moon, and then wordlessly he picked up his wand, pointing it at the moon, and very carefully he drew in gold the symbol of the Deathly Hallows on its pockmarked grey surface.

Dumbledore looked up at Grindelwald, meeting his eyes as the moon spun on in between them.

"Shall we call it equal, then?"

Gellert smiled, nodding officially. "Equals."

xxxxxx

There was a rap on Albus' window one afternoon as he sat sketching, and he looked up eagerly to find an owl perched on his window. A letter from Gell, he thought, but only after he had torn open the envelope and found to his disappointment that it was from Deadalus Diggle did he say to himself rationally that it wasn't, after all, Gellert's owl.

It was a friendly letter, apologizing for lack of previous correspondence, telling him all about Diggle's encounters in Spain, Greenland, France, and his extended stay in Moscow, Russia. Dumbledore had just reached the end of the long note when—

"Hey Al."

Hovering in his open window was Gellert, perched on his broomstick, looking dashing in all black.

"Want to have some broomstick races or something like that before we do anything serious today?" He started to ask as he jumped gracefully into Albus' room, but as he saw Albus looking down at the paper, a worried look crossed Gellert's face. "Are you alright? What's that?"

"A letter from an acquaintance," he said, tone clipped as he folded the letter and tossed it onto his desk. "I suppose I'm just a bit bitter that he got to go on the Grand Tour of Europe we had been planning and I'm stuck here with…well." He ended quietly, feeling a blush appear on his cheeks, and he quickly looked away from Grindelwald.

Gellert frowned, "Albus, don't be sad about that. Why, when we rule the world, I'll give you the whole of Europe. For your birthday. Or perhaps our anniversary. And we'll own all of the magnificent castles and palaces and do indecent things in every room of every one."

"You do make it awfully hard to be bitter, the way you put it."

Gellert grinned, depositing himself on Albus' lap and draping an arm around his shoulder. "Good. I mean, just think, a little while longer and we'll be free. Now, how about that race? Looser does whatever the other wants, and you certainly know what _you'll _have to do."

xxxxxx

"She can't come with us."

"I know, Gell…let's not talk about it now. Let's get there when we get there."

"You're so illogical about this one subject. I don't understand it. You are not your family, Albus, they do not define you. Don't let them hold you back."

"Hold us back, you mean."

"I mean you."

xxxxxx

"We're going to be the most powerful wizards the world has ever seen, Albus. You and I," Gellert said one day as they were lying in bed together, sheets strewn haphazardly across themselves, arms wrapped lazily around each other, Albus' head nestled in Gellert's shoulder. Albus couldn't count the number of times the blonde had said this. He loved repeating it, saying it out loud in the middle of a shared silence, as if to remind them both, to assure them.

Grindelwald took one of Dumbledore's hands from his chest, entwining their fingers. "Promise me this will last forever."

Albus raised an eyebrow, looking up at Grindelwald. "That what will last forever?"

"This. Us. Everything."

"I can't, Gellert," Albus said with a sigh, kissing the other wizard's neck. "One never knows how long something will last."

"But our ideas, our plans. We're geniuses," Gellert exclaimed passionately, a hand in Albus' long hair. "We're so great together, Albus. Tell me it won't end."

"I hope it doesn't."

xxxxxx

Aberforth's hollow sobbing filled the room, the sound grating in every corner, echoing in the darkness, haunting. He collapsed on top of Ariana's limp body, burying his face in her hair as the two other wizards stared in horrified disbelief at the scene. It was as if the world had stopped spinning; everything was slowed and thrown into painful detail. The furniture, destroyed, hurled about the room, the red spot beginning to bloom on Ariana's delicate pink dress.

Albus looked up at Grindelwald, "What have you done?" he asked in a ragged whisper, and for perhaps the first time in his life, he looked positively dangerous.

Gellert was shaking his head frantically, looking between Ariana's lifeless body and Dumbledore's lifeless eyes, "No…no, I didn't—It can't have been—Albus, it wasn't me…Albus! _Albus!_" he pleaded, but Dumbledore had already run, storming from the house, tears streaming from his sky blue eyes. Grindelwald gazed for a moment more at the figure of Aberforth, huddled protectively over Ariana as blood began to pool around her head, before taking off down the street after Albus.

He already knew exactly where he would find him.

"I'm sorry."

Dumbledore did not look back over his shoulder, instead staring out at the sunset that was slowly bathing the valley in gold. "Are you really? Are you really sorry at all? Tell me the truth, Grindelwald."

There was nothing but silence from behind him, as he had expected.

"It's your fault. _You_ are the one that lost control," he said, his voice desperate, longing to convince himself of this fact. "Not me…God. Why me…"

"I know. Please, I know, but think, Albus," Gellert said, his voice gentle, coming to stand beside Dumbledore. "We're free now, like we've always wanted. Free to rule the world."

"No…I never wanted this. Never."

"This is for the good of wizardkind. You know that. We have to go on, all of the things we planned—"

"It's over, Gellert. I'm done."

"Masters of Death! Finding the Hallows, reforming the government, saving the wizarding world…"

"Do those things without me."

"So, what?" he exclaimed. "You're just going to stop? Well, I'm not. I'm going to keep going until I've made thing the way they should be. Changed the world. I thought that was what we wanted more than anything."

Dumbledore was silent for a long moment, and Grindelwald let out a desperate sigh. "What happened to the greater good?"

"This is for my _own_ good, Gellert. I should have seen it earlier…you're dangerous. Cruel."

"You always knew, never deny it," he growled, face suddenly in Dumbledore's hair, and Albus could feel Grindelwald's breath hot on his neck, and suddenly they were back in the attic with a single candle for light, bodies entwining—"I will take over the world, with or without you, and if you stand in my way…"

He stopped suddenly, taking a step back, his voice growing low and regretful. "We could have be great, Albus."

"You always say that."

"It's true."

"It was. Not anymore."

"Albus…"

"Did you ever love me?" Dumbledore asked suddenly, and there were tears sparkling in his sky blue eyes as he looked at his best friend. "At all?"

"—Of _course_ I did—"

"Or were you just using me this whole time?"

"Albus, this isn't about us, this is about—"

"The Greater Good!" Dumbledore spat bitterly, turning away from Grindelwald. "I would do—would have done—anything for you…"

"Albus, please…come with me…rule with me…"

"I'm sorry. I can't."

"You don't mean that. I _know_ you don't…"

"I wish I didn't."

"_Albus—"_

"Go, Gellert. Goodbye."

xxxxxx

Dumbledore stepped into the Hog's Head, removing his cloak and stepping over to the bar where his brother Aberforth was cleaning glasses. "Good evening, Abe. I thought I might stop by for a visit and a firewhiskey instead of grading papers tonight."

"Evening Albus," Aberforth replied in a monotonous voice, not turning around from the mug he was polishing.

Albus frowned, "I see I've found you in an unpleasant mood."

"It's Grindelwald."

The older wizard blinked. They had never mentioned Grindelwald after the funeral service so many years ago. It had been a silent, mutual agreement that, up until now, had never been broken.

"Your little boyfriend is getting out of control, Albus."

"Abe…" Albus began, but his brother just scoffed.

"Do you really think I didn't know? But of course, everyone is an idiot compared to you. Look what he's done," Aberforth spat, slapping a Daily Prophet down in front of his brother. "Look at your idol."

Glaring at him on the front page was a bad, blurry photo of Gellert walking somewhere, and below that the headline: "2 MURDERED BY KILLING CURSE." And then, in slightly smaller print, "WHO IS GELLERT GRINDELWALD AND HOW DANGEROUS IS HE? More on Pg. 2."

"Oh, he's dangerous alright…" Aberforth muttered as he shuffled around the counter, clinking glasses, but Albus just sat shaking his head, staring at the words in front of him.

"Gell…No. We weren't…we weren't serious," he said, talking to the picture.

"Of course you two planned this, up in your _room_ together….This won't be the end, you know."

"Oh, I do not doubt that."

"Who knows how many people he'll kill? You're better than him, Albus, you have to do something."

"I know."

"It's serious now; you have to stop him before things get any worse."

"I _know_, Aberforth…I know."

"Then do it. Now."

Albus took a deep breath. "I can't."

"Coward," Aberforth spat. "Stop living in the past. What's that crap you say about dreams? Take your own advice. I don't know everything that went on that summer, but whatever it was, you need to let it go."

xxxxxx

Albus pulled his robes around him as made his way slowly to the manor that Gellert Grindelwald was currently residing in. Powerful though his Disillusionment charm was, it did not protect him from the gusting wind.

He had often wondered what would happen if the two of them, Grindelwald and he, were to clash in true adversary. How would he match up in reality against the friend and lover that had always pushed him to be better, think bigger, to rule with his head and heart united, unwavering and resolute? Tonight an unstoppable force would meet an immovable object, and only one could continue on after the fiery collision. That he was sure of.

xxxxxx

A large leather winged arm chair sat facing the roaring fire place.

"Grindelwald," He thundered, stepping into the room, letting the invisibility charm fall.

The blonde wizard stood from his chair, turning slowly to face where Albus was standing in the doorway. "Well…It's nice to see you, Albus." He was dressed harshly in a long, fitted black coat, brown pants, and black leather boots. A gold necklace, the symbol of the Hallows, hung around his neck like the branding of a cult.

"I wish it were under happier circumstances, Gellert."

"What happier circumstance than the eve of my Revolution?" Grindelwald said with an acidic grin. "Surely you've come to congratulate me…old friend?"

"It's true, then?" Albus inquired, voice low and furtive as he voiced the question that had been plauging him since Gellert had first began his reign of terror. "You have the Elder Wand?"

"Yes, for some time now…All we ever dreamed of…I'm so close…hm." He was silent for a long moment, staring out of one of the room's windows, hands clasped behind his back. He turned, suddenly. "Albus. She was never meant to—"

"This is no longer solely about Ariana, Gellert."

"Indeed not," He exclaimed, and the malicious grin returned to his face. "This is about so much more! Consider, Albus, the Greater Good."

"I always take into consideration the Greater Good, old habits, you know. But Grindelwald… Gellert…is this truly what we wanted to become?"

"I have no regrets, Albus! I will become whatever is necessary to rule!"

"A monster?" Dumbledore asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "A murderer?"

The warm golden glint that once used to be as much a part of Gellert as his vast intellect was replaced now with pure, cold malice. "Eagerly."

"This must happen, Gellert. I will put it off no longer. One way or another, it was always meant to happen."

"And so it shall." Gellert drew the wand from his pocket, but Dumbledore shook his head.

"Not here."

For a moment Grindelwald looked at him, sweeping his eyes over Dumbledore's tall frame, and finally he gave the smallest nod. "As you wish."

xxxxxx

A hush fell over the crowd that was gathered around the great, shadowed battle ground.

Grindelwald looked up at Albus one last time, pressed against a stone pillar, and he made no move to defend himself. The fire in his eyes had faded, replaced by, finally, what looked to Albus like a tired, sad apology. "Albus…" he murmured slowly, quietly enough that no one else could hear, his words only for the wizard in front of him. "I was sorry. I was. Please. I wanted to be… everything… with you. You were always better. Always great."

For a moment the two men, the two young lovers, gazed at each other, and then Dumbledore, clear blue eyes sparkling with a timeless regret, raised his wand high above his head, curse forming on his lips. There was a flash of white, a last thin, agonizing scream, and Grindelwald lay unconscious —not dead, no, not dead— on the floor, eyes closed, not in death, or in sleep, but closed tightly, in defeat.

Albus stepped silently over the fallen wizard's body, bending at the waist to gently pluck the Elder Wand, the Death Stick, the Wand of Destiny, a Deathly Hallow, from Grindelwald's still hand, tucking it in his robes. His at last, forever a reminder of the plans and fantasies they had shared, the passions that had consumed both of them like dragon's fire. Just like the Elder Wand's identity he would keep those memories safe, unknown and hidden, his only in dreams.

"Goodbye, old friend."

The crowd cheered triumphantly behind him.

xxxxxx

The night was heavy, ink black and freezing as Albus Dumbledore sat alone on the rocks outside of the walls surrounding Nurmengard prison. His knees were tucked against his body, head resting on his arms as he breathed unsteadily. Just that morning he had received the Order of Merlin, first class, for his victory against Grindelwald. He had condemned his friend to lifetime imprisonment and they had presented him with one of the most prestigious awards the wizarding world had to offer. He had tried to look happy, grateful, proud… but it was hard. His whole life now would be pretending, every day, that what he had done had not affected him.

He was not sure why he had come here, suffering through the frigid winds to sit outside of the cell that Gellert would be imprisoned in now, right at this very moment. He was not here because he wanted to be close to Grindelwald. Not at all. He was here, he supposed, because he had nowhere else to be.

He was tired, never in his life could he recall being so exhausted. Cold pierced through his robes. The draining chill made him feel as if, although he knew none were there, he was surrounded by dementors, the happiness draining from him.

He had taken the Elder Wand, bested Grindelwald, for the greater good, he told himself now as he sat in the darkness. The end justifies the means. But what an end….he found he could hardly stand it. Was it truly better to have loved and lost when that love had cost you everything? A whole world had been built up and torn down around him in two months. He had been a fool, an idiot, and wrong about Grindelwald from the beginning, but that knowledge did not make him miss his first and only love any less. Everything he had thought Grindelwald was and everything he had hoped he was not, everything he had felt when he gazed into those golden eyes. None of it mattered anymore. He had destroyed it all.

Alone, his sister murdered, his only family left the brother that hated him, all for two months of blind hope. Was it worth it? He had loved his family, he truly had. More than he had ever told them, he thought with regret. But he had loved Gellert too. There was no denying it. For two months, they really were great. But _was it worth it_?

The pain, already closing in on him, would tear him apart from the inside, it seemed…

He would never know, now, weather he had killed his sister or not.

But perhaps he had never wanted too.

And so, as Dumbledore sat there with his back against the frigid stone, staring into the darkness, he did the only thing that he felt could express the storm of emotions threatening to overtake him.

Pointing the Elder Wand at the sky, he whispered the words Gellert had first used to sweep him off his feet so long ago. "_Totalus Incendicaelum_."

Red and yellow filled the sky, falling down around him, and although it was not real, it surrounded him in the feeling of destruction that he craved beyond anything else. Suddenly, as he stared up into the fire, he noticed a shape soaring through the explosions, seeming to be headed toward him. For a long time he watched it, until he could finally make out its shape, realizing that it was some sort of bird. The majestic figure swooped suddenly down and landed, incredibly graceful in spite of its abruptness, on his leg.

For a moment Albus couldn't breathe. He had thought once that nothing in the wizarding world could truly surprise him anymore, but here, born from Gellert's fire out of some unearthly circumstance that he would never comprehend, was a phoenix, gazing directly at him, pearly tears slowly beginning to drip from its eyes. It was his from now on, he knew in that very moment.

"Fawkes," he crowned his phoenix in a warm whisper, feeling himself smile for the first time in who knows how many moonlit nights.

The bird let out a soft sort of cry, bowing it's head.

In time the memories would fade, the guilt would lift, life would carry on as it always seems to do, passing without thought or acknowledgement to the weary souls that were stumbling through. Albus Dumbledore hoped mind and heart that someday he might be able to watch the golden sunrise over the grounds of Hogwarts without remembering Gellert.

But perhaps, he thought as he stroked the ruby feathers of his phoenix, this would not be the case. He had a burning suspicion that he would see his lover in every sunrise, every sunset, ever tear Fawkes shed. Challenging him. Reminding him to be brilliant.

xxxxxx

FIN

xxxxxx

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